(Newser)
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Rick Santorum's rise to the top tier of the GOP race has triggered a search for skeletons in his closet. Ethics questions from Santorum's time as a US senator have resurfaced, including allegations that he received a mortgage at a preferred rate from a bank run by a campaign donor, ABC reports. The Senate Ethics Committee does not appear to have probed the mortgage loan, despite a complaint from the watchdog group Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington.

Santorum is "hardly the moral paragon he purports to be," says the former federal prosecutor who runs CREW. "He violated Senate gift rules by accepting a mortgage from a bank in which he had no interest and which otherwise made loans only to its own investors." An $8 million Santorum-sponsored earmark to a developer that backed his charity is also being eyed. But the Iowa result has brought Santorum more than fresh scrutiny of his record: His campaign says he received more than $1 million in donations in the 24 hours following the caucuses, Politico reports.

Santorum's ethics? He had an abortion to save his wife's life while fighting to make other women die in agony. Any questions?

fractal

Jan 5, 2012 11:58 AM CST

The Repugs wanted the crazy fundys, and they got them. Now they have a tiger by the tail, and they have to bring out the dart gun...

Twiny

Jan 5, 2012 10:53 AM CST

I wouldn't worry too much about Santorum. Romney's people will swift-boat him if his numbers get to big, just like they did to good ol' Newt in Iowa. Now that Corporations are people, only your business friendly candidate is going to get nominated. And for the Republicans this year, that's Mitt.